1939 Register

[mpjacko]

Hi everyone.

I am just trying to understand the 1939 Register. It is correct to say the last available census was 1921 (1931 was burnt) and so the next available cencus will be 1951? when will this be available?

Regarding the 1939 register, what is the status of this? Are all names now readable / available now as I read somewhere that initially only people who had died could be seen. Can we see people who are still alive?

Also, is it only available at FMP?

Thanks

[JudithM]

Hi everyone.

I am just trying to understand the 1939 Register. It is correct to say the last available census was 1921 (1931 was burnt) and so the next available cencus will be 1951? when will this be available?

Regarding the 1939 register, what is the status of this? Are all names now readable / available now as I read somewhere that initially only people who had died could be seen. Can we see people who are still alive?

Also, is it only available at FMP?

Thanks

Yes 1931 census was destroyed by a fire in a warehouse in Hayes in 1942
1951 census - closed until 2051 according to the National Archives site https://discovery.nationalarchives.g...tails/r/C13341
1939 Register- only access is via Find My Past as far as I know. Entries for people born less than 100 years ago are generally blacked out, unless they are known to be deceased. As the register was kept updated for NHS purposes until 1991 many of those deceased since 1939 are now open, and it is possible to submit proof of death to get a record opened.

[Guy]

Due to legislation passed in 1991 (Census (Confidentiality) Act 1991) that amended the earlier Census Act, 1920 it will be illegal to release further census without a change in legislation.
See
https://tinyurl.com/6pnmbf

and

https://tinyurl.com/y7ydr97f

That does not mean further census will not be released as the National Archives have a track record of ignoring legislation.

If the 1921 census is released that will not happen until 2022 and the 1951 would be released in 2052.

The 1939 National Registration has already been released as it is not a census and is not covered by the Census Act, 1920 as amended.
However due to other legislation (the Data Protection Act 2000) by paranoid politicians the details of living people has had to be redacted from the release.

This in effect means that details of people born less than 100 years ago has been redacted until the National Archives (or Findmypast on their behalf) has been notified with proof of death that the person concerned is dead (i.e. their death certificate).

Refarding the 1931 census it is only the census for England & Wales that was lost to fire the Scottish census still exists and will be released in 2042, or earlier depending on Scottish law.

Cheers
Guy

P.S. The 1939 is only available at the National Archive, Kew and online through Findmypast.

[Sylvia C]

Mind you people born much more than 100 years ago could still be balcked out ...............

witness my uncle and aunt born ca 1895 and 1899, but emigrated to Australia and died down there, uncle ca 1970, aunt ca 1980.

Thus both died before 1991, but with no death record in the UK for NHS to use to update.

I'm sure there are many more like this ............ and I'm also sure that at some point FMP will connect the dots!

[Janet in Yorkshire]

My elderly friend (93 yrs) is blacked out, whilst his younger brother (still living) is on display.

Jay

[Guy]

My elderly friend (93 yrs) is blacked out, whilst his younger brother (still living) is on display.

Jay

Yes, some of the problems with redaction stem from the way the 1939 National Registration was transcribed. Due to privacy the transcribers were not allowed access to pages or even lines of text but had to transcribe in columns. The columns were then reassembled into pages at a later stage, unfortunately in some cases there was slippage or mismatch between columns resulting in some records being redacted when they should be open and some being open when they should be redacted.

The 1939 National Registration will be fully open (with no redactions on 1st January 2040).

Cheers
Guy

[Janet in Yorkshire]

Both the brothers I referred to are still living.

Guy, I fear I won't be here in 2040 to reap the benefit of the great reveal!

Jay

[Patience of Pendle]

My aunt's record was open and I informed FMP that she was still living and so the entry was amended.
However this gave me some clues to the other unopened entries. I still have a problem that three closed entries above my aunt could be any three of four siblings
1. One brother who died recently
2. One brother who died in Australia several years ago
3. One brother was listed as missing in the war and to my knowledge no certificate has ever been issued for him.
4. One sister who died in 1942 - I have searched and cannot find her on the record

I believe the one who wasn't at home at the time the register was taken was either of the last two as they were the oldest, the first two would have been 12 and 9 at the time.

2040 is a long time to have to wait for the complete record. I will be passing over my research to my niece and she may be the one to solve this mystery.

Janet

[Sylvia C]

None of the records for my uncle and aunt's children are open .............. 2 (ages 86 and 92) are still alive in Australia, 3 died down there, and one died in England.

However I did find what is probably their record on the 1939 ............ out of interest, I searched the very long street where I knew they lived until around 1960. Sure enough, the address I recognised had 8 closed records ............ circumstantial evidence I know, but I'm happy enough with it.